Corner Brook -
It's Santa Claus parade weekend in a number of communities in western Newfoundland, with Saturday being a busy day. Parades are taking place in Corner Brook, Stephenville and Stephenville Crossing with all kinds of floats and people decked out for the season as they welcome Santa Claus.
These are always fun events, especially for the children, and the greatest part of it for the adults is watching the eyes of children grow large as the emergency vehicles first arrive, followed by the other floats and at the end, Santa himself waving as he passes.
The organizations in the different communities sponsoring these parades are to be commended for their continued hard work.
The parades are good for the economy because not only do they provide some great entertainment during the onslaught of the Christmas season, but they draw visitors into town.
Those people often stay around to have a meal at a local restaurant or fast-food outlet and many make a day of it and do some shopping as well.
Often during these parades, food items are collected for those in need in our communities, and that's much appreciated at this time of year when food banks and other organizations are preparing Christmas hampers.
Overall, the day is for children and to see the smiles on their faces - despite being out in the cold for a while - is what makes every parade worthwhile.
